As photographers or videographers, we can often be asked to
give our time and expertise for free. This might be by a charity, an
individual, a company or even an educational body. Knowing the right
decision for you can be much harder than it seems. You might not be sure
that it’s right for you, or you may feel uncomfortable saying no, or anything in
between.

In this article we’ll look at some of the most common occurrences of
being asked to volunteer our services. Ultimately, of course, the decision
is yours, but hopefully this will help you make that decision in an informed,
confident way.

The Charity Angle

Charities often fish for freebies because they’re trying to
keep every penny within the trust to use for their cause—totally
understandable. Often they’ll approach a photographer/videographer to document
an event for free. It can be really hard to say no when you know it’s for a good
cause, and charity workers can be particularly pushy.

Don’t be afraid to say no
if it’s a cause you don’t really feel strongly about. You might prefer to do
something for a charity that’s close to your heart, and that’s okay—you can’t
give to everyone. It might also not fit with your schedule, and that’s okay too.
Better to say no than either push yourself too hard or do a not so good job
because you’re tired and maybe a little resentful that it’s a freebie.

Better to say no if the situation isn't right for you [Image: CCO Public Domain via Pixabay]

On the flip side, if you have the time and the inclination, there’s no harm in saying yes at all. Giving your time for a charity can
be a great way for someone to give back who doesn’t have the time to, say, train
for a sponsored marathon. And let’s face it, it’s good for the soul. If you’re
quite new to the game, it can also be a good way for you to build up your
portfolio. Depending on the event, you may be around potential clients or even get introduced to them—don’t bank on this of course, but it could be a happy bonus.

Also, you don’t have
to give your time for free. If it’s going to cost you to get there/back or
you’ll need feeding during the event if it’s a long day, then you could always
ask for your travel/expenses to be reimbursed, or give a quote for a lower rate than you would normally charge.

Mission Creep

One of the risks of working for free is mission creep: the tendency of jobs to grow in scope little by little as they progress. Mission creep is normal; it's what happens when circumstances change. Charities are notoriously understaffed, so it's very common to be asked to do more than you though you'd originally signed up for. They aren't bad people, they're just stretched to the limit, especially when they're putting on an event: the very moment they need your services. Be ready for this going in and you can keep things happy and healthy.

When mission creep happens on a regular job you can negotiate a bit of extra money, but it's tough to ask for more money when you've started by volunteering your time for free. For this reason, some photographers and videographers like to charge a "charity rate." A charity, or non-profit, rate is a discounted rate, often just enough to cover your costs. This arrangement keeps the relationship with the charity operating on the understanding that there are limits to what you can reasonably do. Ultimately, that's a plus for both parties because you'll both get exactly what you need.

When Charity Isn't Charity

Remember, a charity event isn’t necessarily being paid for
by a charity. I did an event last year (and I’m doing it again this year) which
was for a charity but the costs were paid for by quite a large company—so I
don’t feel as guilty for being paid!

A charity shoot I did last year which was paid for by a large company [Image: Marie Gardiner]

Co-Promotes

There may be a time when you and another business can help
each other out. Say, for example, you're a wedding photographer and want some
nice bride and groom pictures. You could team up with a wedding dress and suit
supplier who's looking for some great new product shots—you both get
something out of working together.

There are plenty of examples like this, and
if you're approached, it’s up to you to decide whether it’s the right thing to do.

‘It’ll Be Good for Your Business’

This is my least favourite way of being asked to work for
free. It often happens when someone is holding an event, for example, and doesn’t
want to pay for a photographer. So they’ll approach you and ask you to shoot for
free because ‘you can sell prints and will make quite a bit of money’ or ‘it
will be great publicity for you’.

My partner was recently asked to do some free
filming because he’d get lots of great ‘stock footage’. I know if you don’t ask
you don’t get, but these kinds of requests particularly jar with me. If someone is
telling you what’s good for your own business, chances are, it’s not. I often
feel terrible saying no, but really there is rarely anything in this kind of
thing for me, and I’ve not met any other photographer who has gained massively from
this sort of thing.

Events often want a free photographer thinking you'll make a fortune from selling prints [Image: CCO Public Domain via Pixabay]

A particularly bad example of what we’re talking about here
happened when I emailed a few PR companies to make them aware of my commercial
offerings. One asked if I would do a ‘test shoot’ for them so they could trial
my work—a new one for me, but I said if it was my local area and a quick shoot
(less than an hour) then sure; I was thinking of potential repeat business. They contacted me the same week, asking for my ‘test shoot’ to be a three-hour
event ten miles up the road.

Needless to say, I sent them a quote and didn’t get
the business. It was pretty obvious to me that they were going through a big
list of photographers, using their services for free under the guise of testing
them out. Beware of companies like this—they are out there. I bet if I’d asked
them to do a month of free marketing for my business to test them out, they’d
have laughed me out of the building!

'It'll Be Good for Your Portfolio'

Similar to the above point, some people claim working for free will be good for your portfolio. But only you or a professional portfolio reviewer can decide what's good for your portfolio. Much like our scenarios above, if someone is telling you that you should work for free as it will benefit your portfolio, it probably won't.

I see this all the time, but a recent example was a company in Canada advertising for a student photographer to work for free in order to photograph a conference because it would benefit their portfolio.

In my personal experience, I was asked (during start-up, so my first year of trading) to do something 'as cheap as I could' for a company that supports business start-ups. It's absolutely baffling that places designed to help people get started in business or get work try to use their students/start-ups to get freebies or cheap deals.

If you're struggling for images to use and show then sure, these events could help you, but remember that by using you (or others) for free, they're saving hundreds of pounds. Don't feel cheeky asking them to pay for your travel or feed you while you're there!

Friends and Family

Ah, the dreaded moment when a friend or family member asks if
you can just ‘get a few photographs’ of something because it’ll ‘take five minutes’.
People can drastically underestimate what goes into digital work. Most have easy access to
cameras these days, and they can think what we do is as easy as pointing and
shooting. Many people don’t realise the huge investment in our kit and time, both when
shooting and in editing and post-production afterwards.

One of our 'simpler' set ups for filming [Image: Marie Gardiner]

If it really isn’t a problem for you then do it. You’ll
clock up some great brownie points, and you’ll have a favour to call in at a
later date! But if it’s something you’re really not comfortable doing or you don’t
have the time, then just be honest. Maybe take the time to walk that person
through a bit of what it is you do, and they might come out with a better
understanding of your job.

Remember, if you do something way out of your
comfort zone—say, for example, you’re a landscape photographer and you get
asked to shoot a friend's wedding—messing it up could be detrimental for your
relationship. Even if you’re doing someone a favour, it should always be your
best work. Never do something you don’t feel right about or aren’t insured for.

Conclusion

If you have a skill or, to quote Liam Neeson, a particular
set of skills, then it’s inevitable you will be asked to use them. When and
where you choose to give these skills and your time, is completely up to you.

Think about whether it’s right for you: Do you have the time? Can you afford to
do this? Is the reason for asking genuine?

If no, then don’t be
worried about saying so. It's perfectly OK to say no. Having the flexibility, self-awareness, and confidence to say no to bad opportunities makes saying yes good ones a whole lot more meaningful and rewarding. Working for free should build you up, not sap your resources.

Nobody should make you feel bad or greedy for saying no to something that isn’t right for you. Remember: if you weren't half-decent at what you do, they wouldn't want you, so never undervalue yourself. Be aware of companies who may
try to trick you into freebies, but also remember that there are genuine people
out there who either don’t have the money (like charities) or who you can benefit from working with.

If you've asked yourself the questions above—good fit, enough time, affordable—and the answer is yes to each of them, great, do it!
Also, if it's something where you get a unique opportunity to be
somewhere you wouldn't normally be and you think you'll have a great
time, then why not?